Devotional thoughts tagged as: 'trust'
Trust
A man knocked on Karen's door and offered to cut her lawn for forty dollars. Halfway through, his lawn mower broke down.
He knocked at her door again and asked for partial payment. "I'll fix the mower and come back," he said.
"How can I know you'll come back?" she asked.
"You can't," he said. "You'll just have to trust me."
She decided to risk twenty-five dollars on the man's keeping his word. The next day went by; he did not return. She felt foolish for trusting him.
The day after that, he returned and finished the job, just as he had said he would. Trusting others to keep their word is a risk we must take every day in our own relationships. There is the human tendency to be wary when persons ask us to trust them. However, it is wise to risk our trust—even when there are no guarantees. This is how relationships get built.
God trusted humanity by sending his son to us. Are we willing to trust God in a similar manner?
Renew Your Strength
...those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up on wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40: 31
The 40th chapter of the book of Isaiah begins to develop a picture of God as creator and sustainer of life. A God who never grows weary in his creative activity. If we trust God, our creator, we can draw strength from him in our time of need.
Take time today to talk to God and ask for the strength to accomplish your tasks and chores.
Experiencing Jesus from a distance
In Luke 7:1-10, the centurion chose to encounter Jesus from a distance, even through Jesus was willing to come into his house and heal the servant. The centurion's humility did not permit him to presume a familiarity with Jesus. Only say the word and my servant will be healed. The centurion encountered Jesus from a distance through his friends and through his faith in the word of Jesus.
Since the Ascension of Jesus, we to are able to relate to Jesus from a distance. We have no other choice. Yet, if we trust in the power of Jesus' word to heal and give life, we do indeed encounter Jesus from a distance. All we have to do is place ourselves under his authority, like the centurion.